Physical Problems of Alcoholism

As I mentioned on the previous section of Seattle Organic Restaurants the three factors of environment, genetic and psychology play an important role in alcoholism. Alcohol is poison for body. Chronic alcohol consumption can cause nervous system disorder and damage to brain, pancreas or liver. Alcohol also damages body cells and weakens the immune system.

Alcohol may also harm the brain by reducing the amount of oxygen to the brain resulting in emotional disturbance, hallucination and seizures in extreme cases. However it might take few years until the serious side effects of alcohol become evident.

Liver Damage due to Alcohol Consumption

The liver digests 95% of alcohol in the body at a rate of a quarter to half an ounce in every hour. Consuming too much alcohol will prevent production of liver digestive enzymes and promotes inability of the body to absorb fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K), protein, fats and B complex vitamins such as folic acid and thiamine. The inability of the body to absorb proteins would lead to amino acids and zinc deficiencies.

Due to excessive amount of alcohol consumption many other essential nutrients can’t also be retained. Inability of the body to digest nutrients and fat can cause diabetes. Alcohol also disables liver to digest fat properly and as a result a lot of fat accumulates in liver. Finally consumption of too much alcohol may develop hepatitis that will cause inflammation and destruction of liver cells. This final fatal liver damage can cause inflammation and hardening of liver that would limit blood passage through liver and prevents the ability of other organs to filter foreign invaders and toxins out of the body.

However liver is one of the organs in the body that has the ability to regenerate and heal itself after damage. Liver gets damaged quickly and also heals quickly. Up to 25% of damaged liver can be removed and grow back to its original size and shape in a short period of time. Alcohol is one of the toxins that can harm liver pretty seriously and liver cannot regenerate itself if it is severely damaged many times.

Alcohol damages stomach and small intestine. Alcohol reduces the absorption of nutrients in small intestine and it can also penetrate to the lining of stomach. Alcohol often damages nervous system and that would lead to loss of sensation in the feet or hands or inability to walk. Consumption of too much alcohol can cause pancreas inflammation. Chronic drinking could also increase the chance of liver, mouth, throat, stomach, colon and breast cancer. Smoking that usually complements drinking could also increase the chances of cancer by 50%. Excessive drinking could also cause dilation of blood vessels, high blood pressure, reduced testosterone, heart enlargement and heart failure.